Tag: Droid 3

Motorola and Verizon have started rolling out software updates for two of their Droid branded handsets, the Droid X and Droid 3.

The software update for the Droid X is just a regular maintenance update that aims at fixing some bugs in the current build. The update also fixes the annoying virtual keyboard freezing issue with the Droid X, post the Gingerbread update.

However, the update for the Droid 3 packs in a lot of enhancements, including Google Talk with video chat. There are a lot of other enhancements including improved GPS performance and battery life. Other changes include improved camera shutter speed and addition of multi-shot capability, new version of Swype, and improved audio clarity. Verizon has also made full use of this opportunity to pre-load more bloat ware on the handset.

The Droid X software update carries the version number 4.5.605, while the update for the Droid 3 carries the version number 5.6.890. Both the updates are live now, and will automatically be pushed to Droid X and 3 owners in the coming weeks.

Alternatively, users can manually pull the update from Verizon’s server by going to the Settings-> About Phone, and selecting the Software update option.

The Motorola Milestone 3, known stateside as the Droid 3, has been rooted! The well-known kernel hacker and security researcher Dan Rosenberg, has posted the details of a simple vulnerability that provides superuser access to the device by using a configuration value that prevents the Android Debugging Bridge from de-escalating its root privileges.

The Droid 3 is the successor to the very popular Droid 2. It launched on Verizon back in July, with a locked bootloader preventing customized kernels and ROM cooking. The original Motorola Droid implemented security measures that required signed images for flashing. It took almost a year before it was rooted and Motorola stuck with their choice to alienate power users by enforcing signature checks on their Droid series of devices.

Featuring a spacious 5-row hardware QWERTY keyboard, qHD screen and all the methods of connectivity you can handle, the Droid 3 is a powerhouse of a device. Although none of the Droids are included in the guide to the Best Android Phones in India, the original Droid pushed Android launch sales over the iPhone and beat the Nexus One.

Now that Google and Motorola have joined forces, the Android community can expect more top-tier hardware built by Motorola and powered by unskinned, unmolested and bloatware-free Android, receiving timely updates directly from Google.

After numerous leaks, Motorola and Verizon have finally announced the successor to the Droid 2 the Droid 3. Unlike the Droid and the Droid 2, Moto decided to announce the Droid 3 in a very quiet manner.

The Droid 3 sports a 4-inch display with qHD (960×540) resolution. This might sound good on paper, but sadly, the display is a PenTile one, similar to the Atrix 4G and the Droid X2. The handset is powered by a 1GHz dual-core OMAP processor, and a PowerVR SGX540 GPU, which handles the graphics department. The device packs in a disappointing 512MB of RAM.

The Droid 3 also sports a slide-out five-row QWERTY keyboard, and is the slimmest Android phone out there with a keyboard (12.9mm). The back of the phone sports an 8MP camera, along with an LED flash, which is capable of recording videos in 1080p HD resolution. There is also a VGA camera in the front for video calling.

Other key features of the Droid 3 include Wi-Fi b/g/n, mini-HDMI port with mirror mode, 16GB of on-board memory, microSD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, and enterprise features like device and SD card encryption, and complex password support etc.

The Droid 3 runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with a new version of MotoBLUR running on top of it. Interested users can already purchase the Droid 3 online at VerizonWireless.com for $199.99, on a two-year contract. The handset will hit the retail stores in the U.S, by July 14.

Motorola and China Telecom have gone ahead and announced the Milestone 3 (XT883). The Motorola Milestone 3 is the non-American version of the yet to be announced Droid 3. Both the phones are exactly the same, except for the different radio antenna.

As rumors earlier suggested, the Motorola Milestone 3 sports a dual-core OMAP processor running at 1GHz, and packs a disappointing 512MB of RAM. The handset also sports a 4-inch qHD (960×540) display, with a five-row slide out QWERTY keyboard.

The back of the Milestone 3 packs an 8MP camera with an LED flash, which is capable of recording videos in full HD 1080p resolution. There is also a front facing VGA camera for video calls and chat. Other key features of the phone include Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS with A-GPS, 16GB internal memory, microSD card slot, proximity sensor, 3.5mm audio jack and a micro-USB port.

Thankfully, unlike other recently announced Motorola handsets, the Droid 3 runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with a new version of MotoBLUR.

The Milestone 3 (XT883) will be available from 3rd quarter of 2011. Sadly, Motorola and China Telecom did not mention anything about the pricing of the handset.

The Milestone 3 is also expected to hit the Verizon’s network under the name of Droid 3, sometime next month.

Rumored specs and a picture of the Motorola Droid 3 leaked on the Internet a couple of weeks ago. The rumors suggested that the Droid 3 will be powered by a dual-core OMAP, and will sport a five-row QWERTY keyboard

Today, 3 video tutorials of the Droid 3 have leaked on the Internet. The 3 video tutorials provide us with complete specifications of the handset. From the video, it is clearly visible that the Droid 3 will sport a 4-inch screen with qHD (960×640) resolution.

As the earlier leaked picture suggested, the handset will also sport a five-row QWERTY keyboard, with a dedicated row for numbers. The back of the handset will sport an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, and there is a front facing camera for video chatting as well. The camera at the back is capable of recording videos in Full HD 1080p resolution.

From the videos, it D3 seems to be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with a new version of MotoBLUR. This new version of Blur is different from the one, which the Gingerbread update for the Droid X brought.

Like the Droid X and the Droid X2, the D3 will also sport a mini-HDMI port. The phone is also sleeker and slimmer than the Droid 2.

The original Motorola Droid and the Verizon’s Droid campaign way back in 2009 was one of the major reasons of Android’s monumental growth.

Original Droid was and still remains one of the most popular and successful Android phone. People had huge expectations from the Motorola Droid 2. Sadly, the Droid 2 was just another Android with a 1GHz CPU and a slide-out keyboard.

Original Droid owners and lovers expect that the Droid 3 from Motorola will be a radical overhaul from the Droid 2.

Now, a leaked benchmark of the upcoming Droid 3 has popped up on the Internet. The benchmark suggests that the Droid 3 will pack in a qHD (960×640) screen, and will be powered by a dual-core 1GHZ OMAP processor. The GPU inside the Droid 3 will be the PowerVR SGX540, same as the one found in the Galaxy S, albeit with a higher clock speed.

A few days ago, a picture of the Droid 3 also leaked on the Internet. The picture suggests that the Droid 3 will have a bigger screen that the Droid 2, and a five-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Personally, I am a bit disappointed with the Droid 3 specs. The original Droid had a killer hardware which was pretty much unheard of that time. Sadly, the Droid 3 will again have specs which other high-end Droids will sport. I still hope that the Droid 3 has a special feature, which makes it stand out from other high-end Android handsets.